PERSUASION

PERSPECTIVES in MULTICULTURAL LITERATURE

Pages 10 - 11

"Reading Check": please incorporate the questions into your answers and answer in complete sentences. 

"Test Practice": please answer questions 1 - 8;  you may just write the number and the letter.

"Constructed Response": 

Summarize the two writers' main claim

Find evidence from each article which supports that writer's claim.

Evaluate each evidence the writers used in their argument

Write which article you found more convincing and why

This will be due by tomorrow, Friday, September 20th. 

Friday, September 20th: 

PERSPECTIVES in MULTICULTURAL LITERATURE

Pages 12 - 15

"The Parable of the Good Samaritan"

"Op-Ed Article: A State Championship Versus Runner's Conscience" 

"Writing Workshop": Writing a Persuasive Essay: Prewriting

Notes for the Short Constructed Response:

What is Gloria Allred’s main claim in her article, “If Decency Doesn’t, Then Laws Should Make Us Samaritans”?

We only follow laws.

We should try to make people help others when they are in need.

If people aren’t courteous enough to be Samaritans in emergencies, then the laws should force us to help others.

What is the evidence Gloria Allred uses to support her claim?

She uses the evidence of the baby drowning, which is an emotional appeal.

Allred uses the Princess Diana story in which photographers were taking pictures of Princess Diana  dying, while her companion, the driver of the car and her bodyguard were lying in the crash already dead. (anecdotal: a brief story) Emotional appeal.

Another evidence is the anecdote of a man choking to death on a chicken bone while people are dancing around singing,”Chicken bone!”

The American ”No duty to come to the aid of others” has been criticized by legal scholars, yet the issue has generally been ignored by the public.

Under American law liability generally is for action rather than inaction.

Examination of the strengths and weaknesses of her arguments:

Her argument is one sided  and comes from a “person to person” format.   She relies too much on emotional appeal, and not enough on hard data and statistics.

GOOD SAMARITANS U.S.A. ARE AFRAID TO ACT by Ann Sjoerdsma

Main Claim:

For Americans, moral conscience, not legal duty, remains the best guide to emergency aid.

Mr. Chuy: It’s too late to legislate morality because American culture is too litigious. (Elizabeth: litigious means quick to sue!)

Now, look for evidence to support Ms. Sjoersma’s claim: Does she use data, statistics, anecdotes to support her claim?  Does she base her evidence on  emotional or logical appeals?